All 12 people on board a plane that crashed near an airport in western Missouri are dead, authorities said Sunday.
The aircraft went down late Sunday morning near Butler Memorial Airport, about 65 miles south of Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Sgt. Justin Ewing of the highway patrol said emergency responders received a report of a plane crash at approximately 11:30 a.m., with the aircraft engulfed in flames upon impact.
The plane, which was reportedly carrying skydivers, came down in a field adjacent to the airport, Ewing said. He added that authorities moved quickly to secure the area, including shutting down nearby roadways as a precaution.
Troopers responded to the scene alongside the Butler Police Department and the Bates County Sheriff’s Office. Officials confirmed that all 12 occupants aboard the aircraft are presumed dead.
Business Interstate 49, located near the crash site, was closed in both directions for an undetermined period as emergency crews worked the scene.
Video footage from the area showed smoke rising from the wreckage in the field.
Ewing said further details about the victims and the circumstances leading to the crash were not immediately available.
The crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued an immediate statement.
Authorities continue to assess the scene as part of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the crash.
TheIndependent/AP/NBC
